Matt's Inside Line: Scoop on Once Upon a Time, Grey's, Revolution's Big Switch, Castle and More

Will Once Upon a Time fans see August in September? Who’s the (new) boss on White Collar? Will Grey’s Anatomy‘s April again play doctor with Avery? Read on for answers to those questions plus other teases from hot shows.

Once Upon a Time| I can’t seem to write anything about Once Season 2 without several of you showing up in Comments to ask about August, who in the finale completed his transformation back into wooden Pinocchio. Did he remain petrified? Or did Emma’s lifting of the curse restore him to his warm-blooded glory? I can tell you that in the Season 2 premiere airing this Sunday… that situation is not addressed. At all. There’s simply wayyyy too much other awesome stuff going on. I can, however, confirm that Eion Bailey will be back at some point this season – sooner rather than later, my gut tells me. “There are so many stories that are left open-ended, it’s just a matter of time before we revisit these characters,” Lana Parrilla shared during her visit to TVLine’s Times Square offices. “Eion may be coming back as a wooden figure,” she added with a laugh. “And he may not!”

White Collar| When the USA favorite resumes its season in January, Peter will be losing one boss, Hughes (played by James Rebhorn) and gaining a new one, in the form of CSI: Miami beauty Emily Procter — yet all under the sketchiest of circumstances. The introduction of Procter’s character “figures pretty heavily in terms of our big bad, [Senator] Terrence Pratt (Lost‘s Titus Welliver), who forces Hughes out,” says show boss Jeff Eastin. As such, neither Peter nor Neal quite know what to make of the new regime. “The guys go back and forth – is she on their side or not?” But perhaps most interestingly, Hughes won’t go away for good, or quietly. Reveals Eastin, “James will return and have a pivotal role to play in the finale.”

Grey’s Anatomy| Did you hear the one about the farmer’s daughter who received a surprise visit from Seattle Grace’s chief of surgery, inviting her to get back to work? Suffice to say, April was stunned by Owen’s appearance/overture, yet she will plan to make the most of this second chance. “In the third episode of the season, she comes back in, rarin’ to go,” Sarah Drew previews. “She has a whole new outlook on how she’s going to live her life… and then it gets completely turned on its head. But that’s really fun!” Does April’s new outlook allow room for an old (and her first) lover, Avery? “They will always be friends. Lets just put it that way,” the actress hedges. “But where it goes is a very interesting journey, one with a lot of twists and turns.”

Revolution| The Cubs “losing” the World Series wasn’t the only tweak made to the Revolution pilot. While the plan was always for Charlie’s mom Rachel to be alive, the way that twist played out in the original pilot, with Rescue Me‘s Andrea Roth in the role, was a bit different. For one, Rachel’s status among the living was revealed at the end of the first episode. Secondly, it originally took place in General Monroe’s tent, when she stepped out from behind one of the privacy screens (see screen grab, right). Explaining the rewrite that came with the Elizabeth Mitchell recast, exec producer Eric Kripke told me, “We wanted to establish that character correctly, and my honest problem was that when she shows up in the tent in the [original] pilot, it’s sort of implied that she’s Monroe’s lover. A little. And I don’t know where that story goes! But I do know where a story goes where she’s introduced in a very different way” — namely, as someone clearly being held captive by Monroe’s minions. All told, “We’re launching that story in a different way with a different circumstance,” Kripke says, “which will give us a much cleaner line as we move forward with Rachel’s story.”

Castle| Despite Rick and Kate putting on their best poker faces, their secret relationship will slowly be exposed during the first third of the season — and, ironically, not necessarily by either of their two detective pals. Tamala Jones teases a “fun” upcoming scene in which Esposito and Ryan “are trying to figure out why Beckett’s glowing, and who’s the new boyfriend.” As Lanie absorbs all the assorted intel, then pairs it with an odd observation of her own, “She kind of figures it out,” the actress shares. (And yes, Lanie herself is still enjoying “a little booty call action with Esposito,” Jones confirms.)

If there’s a show you’d like the Inside Line on, email mattmtvguy@gmail.com, and maybe it’ll get some love the next time around! (With reporting by Vlada Gelman)